Troon Vineyard: The Founding & the Future in Southern Oregon

Lucky for us there are those with a sense of imagination and adventure who often times will do what was, until they thought of it at least, the unthinkable. Pioneers are visionaries, whom at the time seem a little bit crazy but whose vision and hard work make it possible for those who follow them to build upon their success. Right around the time when Oregon's most well known wine pioneer, David Lett was planting Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley, Dick Troon was helping to break similar ground in Southern Oregon's Applegate Valley. (To cut you off at the pass I am fully aware that Richard Sommer was the first to plant Pinot Noir in the Umpqua Valley circa 1960.)

Where Lett came to Oregon with a plan, and the very express purpose of planting Pinot in a place that seemed much more like Burgundy than California. Dick Troon just thought that the Grant's Pass area seemed like a nice place to live. Having grown up a farmer and an engineer by trade Troon's turn toward wine was spurred by a visit to Healdsburg. Having come away impressed with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zifandel and given his agricultural roots Troon thought that this could be done in Southern Oregon. And is often the case with pioneers, Troon firmly believed he could do it better. He planted Cabernet and Zinfandel in 1972 and the vineyard operated as just that until he began a winery in 1993.

While Southern Oregon has yet to develop the reputation for those varietals the way that California has, Dick Troon helped to found what is fast becoming an accomplished and recognized wine region. The potential of the region is undeniable. Wines from Cowhorn, Folin Cellars, God King Slave and Quady North, along with those from Troon Vineyard demonstrate what the Rogue and Applegate Valleys have to offer in terms of variety and diversity, but  it may be an American sweet spot for Zinfandel, Syrah and Tempranillo. Particularly in terms of the preservation of acidity within the wine given their cooler climate.

Troon Vineyard was sold by it's founder to other owners, the Martin Family in 2003. Dick Troon passed away in 2011, but the winery has taken seriously it's namesake and the responsibility it has to the region. The vineyard holdings have expanded and a new and visually stunning facility was built in 2005. True to Troon's pioneering spirit experimental varietals new to Southern Oregon like Tannat and Vermentino have been planted. Herb Quady is the obviously talented winemaker for Troon and he has at his disposal a seemingly endless number of varietals and blends, I counted some 23 wines on their website.

The label however has built and grown it's reputation largely on two wines. Dick Troon's beloved Zinfandel (they make various iterations) and Troon's happiest mistake. The Druid's Fluid red wine is a blend that has long included Syrah, and one particular year Dick had harvested some Syrah with insufficient nitrogen. This lead to a stuck fermentation, the wine as a result was fruity, and just a touch sweet. Reminiscent of a German Dornfelder. This easy drinking red wine has become hugely popular. The wine was a previously published Friday Find.

What's clear is that Troon's importance does not just lie in the founding of Southern Oregon but in it's future. With Herb Quady at the winemaking reigns the winery has demonstrated that is not simply satisfied as a destination with impressive views. The wines are very good, the focus (at least in the wines I've tried) is on their fruit, the estate site and the special climate the region grants them. The winery continues to push boundaries and demonstrate a willingness to try new things. That is good for Oregon and for those interested in what its potential might really be.

Zinfandel seems to have found a home in Southern Oregon and Troon Vineyard makes a few of them. Their 2010 Kubli Bench Zinfandel $25 doesn't clobber you with ripeness, raisins and booze. Instead you get blue fruits, savory spice and a fleshy quality that is classically Zinfandel. The acidity that this wine was able to retain takes it to another level in terms of vibrancy. The cooler climate of the Applegate Valley delivers a Zinfandel worthy of anyone's consideration, particularly those who don't think of themselves as fans of the wine. Outstanding.

Reserve Syrah 2008-This is a serious big britches Syrah. The word on the street is that this was a bit of a private project wine for the Martins but it was too good not to share with Troon fans. The wine is comprised of the best Syrah to come off the estate vineyard, selected from only three rows of vines. A tiny 45 cases was made. Overt dark fruit and spices hum in this Syrah.  Flavors of black plum draped in a purple velvet mouth-feel courtesy of the the substantial time spent in new French oak. The aromatics are dusty black cherry and hints of earth. $50

The Old Vine Meritage 2009 is a wine that I felt really bad opening. I say that only because it was clear that this wine is built for longevity, and will only get better. Super structured with flavors of raisin, dusty cherries, chocolate, and baking spices balanced with a stony minerality and lots of tannin. There were moments when flavor elements reminded me of an Amarone. The aromatics are a little closed up right now, but like everything else about this wine it screams try me again in 4 or 5 years. $32 sold out

2011 Foundation '72 Vermentino, I know, right? ANOTHER Northwest Vermentino? Yawn. And by another, I mean the only one, period. At least that I'm aware of, and perception equals reality.  This wine was a blast to drink. This wine is mostly Vermentino with a small percentage of Viognier blended. It’s a crisp white wine with aromatics of crushed stone, lemon zest and wild flower. The stainless steel fermentation preserves the  wine’s great acidity and bite. Flavors of green apple, citrus fruit and mineral finish complete a perfect food
wine. $18

These wines were provided as samples by the winery.

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Friday Find, May 4

Each Friday we highlight a wine from the Northwest that we think is a real "find." By find we might mean that it's a steal, as all of these wines we'll feature weekly are under $20. We might also mean "Hey, you really need to go find this" and it might be a wine that we feel not enough people know about. In any case, with the weekend pending we're hoping to help you "find" a wine to kickoff the weekend right. We'll tell you a little bit about the wine and try to help you track it down here in the Northwest.

People are going to start to worry about us at this rate.  Last week's Friday Find was a nod to the ancient practices of Alchemy and the red blend Script & Seal, and here we are this week talking about Druids.   Here's the weird thing about the Druids, we don't really know anything about them.  I mean, at least Wikipedia doesn't and if Wikipedia doesn't well then, that knowledge doesn't exist.  What we do know about the Druids is that they were fairly frightening and mysterious. They were a priestly group in the British Isles and they killed people.



I think the most bizarre part of this whole Druid mystery is that there's no debating their existence and on a very clear level their importance within Gaelic society, but what's lost is any clarity on what they did, believed and why they burned so many people alive.  We do know that the believed in the immortality of the soul and perhaps in some form of reincarnation.  There is a definite Druid connection to Stonehenge and it's use to celebrate the summer solstice, in lieu of naked cycling. That is where the definitive information seems to run cold, what has been pieced together about the Druid culture is that it was a priestly one, with descriptions ranging from sacrificial crazies to intellectual and theological pillars of the community.  What's clear is that they wore hooded robes and had beards, probably.

The Druid's Fluid from Troon Vineyard is a nod to Dick Troon's Scottish roots and is the name for the vineyard's "mistake wine."  A blend of Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet and Zinfandel with a touch of sweetness (1.55 Residual Sugar) and ample acidity the wine is a lot of fun to drink. It strikes me as a great summer BBQ wine, and reminds me with it's acidity and touch of sweetness of the German red the Dornfelder.  The aromatics are slightly funky at first, but give way to loads of fruit with cherries and strawberries.  The palate has that touch of sweet berry and a fruit forward character that's backed with ample acidity.

That touch of sweetness was that first mistake, in 2000 some Syrah with insufficient nitrogen resulted in a stuck fermentation.  The wine therefore retained some of it's sugar and the result was a sweet red wine.  Friends of Dick Troon found it to be an enjoyable easier drinker and so they've recreated the wine by stopping fermentation before all of the sugar is broken down. The result is a fruit forward red wine with great acidity and a kiss of sweetness, don't think tacky California sweet wine, think Old World German Dornfelder and for $18 it's a nice change of pace. You can find the wine fairly readily throughout Oregon, in Fred Meyer and Safeway or check out the dope wine locator beacon on the Troon website to track it down.  Suspend your disbelief about sweet red wines, and maybe do a side by side tasting with a Dornfelder you'll see for yourself. I'd recommend drinking it after chilling slightly next to your favorite home grilled burger.  Stay away from any Druids though.

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Unwine'd Friday Find, April 20

Each Friday we highlight a wine from the Northwest that we think is a real "find." By find we might mean that it's a steal, as all of these wines we'll feature weekly are under $20. We might also mean "Hey, you really need to go find this" and it might be a wine that we feel not enough people know about. In any case, with the weekend pending we're hoping to help you "find" a wine to kickoff the weekend right. We'll tell you a little bit about the wine and try to help you track it down here in the Northwest.

Today's Find is the last time we'll be bringing you the Unwine'd Friday Find, or an under $20 wine from one of the 100 Oregon wineries pouring at the Unwine'd Celebrate Oregon Wine event on April 29th. We gave away two pair of tickets and the word I hear is that the event is selling like hotcakes. (You can also buy tickets here.)

The Unwine'd event is Oregon's biggest consumer tasting event ever and will be hosted at the Left Bank Annex just across the bridge from downtown Portland on, believe it or not the left bank of the Willamette. The event will of course be about wine tasting, and not just Pinot Noir folks, but it offers guests an opportunity to explore the varied bounty of Oregon from the Walla Walla Valley, yes, in Oregon to the Rogue Valley at the state's southern end. In addition to the variety of wines, there will be food served up by some of the best culinarians that PDX and the Willamette Valley have to offer.

Unwine'd is not however just about Pinot or just about the Wilamette Valley, and so we head south for this week's Friday Find and the final Unwine'd Friday Find before the big event on April 29th.  Oregon's Rogue and Applegate Valleys can produce some very nice examples of Syrah, Zinfandel and Tempranillo as well as Viognier.  Today's Friday Find is a Rosé of Grenache and Syrah (or at least as best I can tell) from Quady North. (We'll be doing a lengthy feature on them in May.)

Herb Quady is the proprietor and winemaker at the namesake label Quady North but Herb has bounced around with winemaking stints at California's Bonnny Doon (as associate winemaker) as well as currently making wines at Troon Vineyard.  Making Quady North the only place he hasn't made wine that doesn't rhyme with loon.  The labels at Quady North might be the first thing to grab your attention and there's a good reason for it, they're colorful bright and bring to mind the classic imagery of old sailor tattoos. While the Spring weather has really been an exercise is torture lately, warm and sunny days appearing only for the drab grey weather to return, we're on the cusp of Rosé season.  In fact, I'm drinking Rosé just on principal.

The Rosé from Quady North is electric pink and has wide open floral aromatics right from the jump.  Done as a saignée this rose comes across with loads of melon, peach skin and a hint of fresh mint delivers you to the finish.  The acidity is perfect for pairing this wine with anything light but it will likely cut through the fatty grilled meats of summer as well.  For $13.50 you'd have to be ridiculous to pass on this find.  The Quady North wines are fairly readily available through out the PDX metro area check out Zupan's and New Seasons and get this Rosé before it's all gone.

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Zin...In Perfect Balance

By Corey McTaggart

Clouds and fog disappeared from sight in the rear view mirror as I rounded curves of highway into the Applegate Valley. Blue skies are typical in this hidden, yet wide-open microclimate of southern Oregon. Thirty-nine year-old Zinfandel vines are illuminated by sunlight which glows more than 300 days every vintage here.

Dick Troon pulled out a 1980 Zinfandel, dust thick on the bottle, from one of his vineyard’s first harvests. Thirty years later, the wine has continued to age beautifully. Troon, a true pioneer of Oregon wines, has believed in great Zinfandel grown in the Applegate Valley of Southern Oregon for decades. He began planting his vineyard in 1972; the original Troon Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon are now among the oldest vines in the state.


Troon’s history with Zinfandel began on a business trip to the Healdsburg area of California in the late 1960's. A private tour given by the proprietors of Simi Winery revealed how much vineyard selection, attention to detail, and a lot of TLC can do for the grape, and ultimately, the wine. Setting down roots in the Applegate, Troon noted the similarities in vegetation and “a better daylight factor” (sun on the vines an hour longer each day than regions further south), and decided, "if they can do it, we can do it better". Sourcing vines from UC Davis by way of Oregon State University, Troon's methods included dropping enough fruit, including the shoulders of each grape cluster, so that the berries would not so much as touch each other. He explained that this is absolutely essential to avoiding bunch rot. He also noted that the grapes in this region are harvested 30-45 days later than California vineyards. Between the sun, and selective harvest -sometimes three different picking seasons per acre - the fruit ripened to the height of its potential.

The world began to take notice.

At a trade and press tasting in London, 1997, Troon's Zinfandel was the most talked about wine among bottles from some 26 wineries. The participants of a Chicago Tribune tasting of Zinfandels and Primitivos from around the world laughed when they heard of a Zin from Oregon… until they tasted it. Without exception they loved the wine and wanted to know how they might obtain more. Troon, now in his 80s, sold the winery to a friend a few vintages ago and these Zinfandels have continued striking gold (medals), and the highest acclaim, on a global level.

On the expansive patio at Schmidt Family Vineyard, notes of sweet cranberry, tangerine zest, chocolate pudding and clove jumped from a glass of "Zinphony". This 50/50 Zin-Cab Sauvignon blend could be likened to liquid chocolate cake with a drizzle of balsamic and raspberry reduction and finished with just a hint of white pepper. Four generations of the Schmidt family serve guests in a glorious garden and hand-built tasting room of world class beauty.

Schmidt's Zinfandel cuttings were taken from Rex and Sandy Garoutte's vineyard next door, which were planted in 2001, obtained from Joe and Susie Ginet’s Zin, which in turn originated from Dick Troon’s stock. Four doors down from Troon, Dave and Elaine Trump planted a Zinfandel vineyard with cuttings from Troon’s front Zin, and Jacksonville Vineyards sourced their Zin from Trump’s. Shasta View Vineyard in Northern California grows and bottles Zinfandel which stemmed from Troon’s Zin plantings as well.

Up the hill at tiny Wooldridge Creek Winery, club members relaxed and sipped as if part of the extended family. In fact, members purchase most of the Wooldridge Zinfandel as futures before its release each vintage. Ted Warrick, one of the four (all local) owners, planted Zin from Dick Troon’s cuttings in the early 1990's.

As Warrick emphasized, dropping fruit is their recipe for success with Zinfandel as well. The vines will set eight tons to the acre; however, for quality, Wooldridge drops clusters and cultivates only two tons to the acre. Warrick mentioned the vast differences in terroir; the diurnal variation in temperature - hot days and cool nights result in a wine of lower alcohol - 13 to 14 percent. He compared this style, which he mentioned pairs better with food, to wines of 16 percent or more alcohol and jammy, low acid qualities that can develop in hot climates. The enzymes which are necessary to metabolize acids are heat dependent, and when temperatures remain in the 70's at night, the grapes never stop ripening during the wee hours as pH soars and acid continues to plummet.

When the natural acid drops out of the grape before harvest, it must be chemically added in the laboratory. Sometimes this artificial acidulation causes negative physical effects on the consumer.

In contrast, the Applegate Valley Zinfandels retain their own perfect balance, naturally. Troon smiled, with a sparkle in his eye. "My wine will never give you a headache."

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